Ardsley student's group 2nd place winner at Siemens contest

Rachel Li, a Spackenkill High School junior in Poughkeepsie, Chelsea Wang, of Fort Collins, Colorado, and Jainil Sutaria, of Ardsley, were awarded second place at the national Siemens competition in Washington, D.C. in December 2017.
Siemens Foundation

Rachel Li, left, a Spackenkill High School junior in Poughkeepsie, Chelsea Wang, center, of Fort Collins, Colorado, and Jainil Sutaria, of Ardsley, were awarded second place at the national Siemens competition in Washington, D.C. in December 2017.(Photo: Siemens Foundation)

A senior at Ardsley High School and two group members were awarded second place at the national Siemens competition in Washington, D.C.

The group — Jainil Sutaria, of Ardsley, Rachel Li, a Spackenkill High School junior in Poughkeepsie, and Chelsea Wang of Fort Collins, Colorado — won a $50,000 prize to split for their research on a gel to prevent bone damage affected by gum disease.

Sutaria's team and a project from Ossining High School senior Skyler Jones were among the 101 projects chosen as regional finalists. Sutaria and his group won $1,500 during that round, as well.

This month, the Ardsley senior's group was one of five that competed in the final round at George Washington University.

The Siemens competition, which has attracted hundreds of applicants annually from high schools around the country since 1999, requires students to submit research and projects from topics they have studied.

Scholarships for eligible students range from $1,000 for those chosen as semi-finalists to $100,000 for chosen finalists.